Obesity is a growing, world-wide epidemic. Studies suggest that more than 60% of Americans are either overweight or obese. Obesity results in nearly 300,000 deaths per year in the United States. It is well established that obesity is a major risk factor for many serious diseases, including coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes, breast cancer, colon cancer, ulcer-related diseases, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, prostate cancer, major depressive disorders, and chronic pain disorders, to name a few.
The core fundamentals of any obesity intervention and/or weight loss program involve reducing calorie intake (dieting) and increasing calorie utilization (exercise). In other words, in order to lose weight, you must expend more calories than you consume over a given time period. While the theories of weight loss are known, the fact remains that the majority of individuals fail in their attempts to lose and maintain an appreciable amount of weight loss. One noteworthy reason for the low success rates is that dieting and/or exercise require significant lifestyle alterations and dedication. Not all people that desire to lose weight (and maintain the weight loss) have the self-discipline, desire, etc. to follow through with a particular dieting and/or exercise regimen. The theory behind weight loss may be simple, but statistics show that executing and maintaining a plan is a different story.